Study: LTE iPads, The Toys of the 1 Percent

Just a tiny portion of the new iPads sold to date have been 4G-enabled, a report claims, with the majority of buyers preferring cheaper, Wi-Fi-only models. But those that own them use them extensively.

Using its own analytic tools, Localytics found that six percent of the new Apple iPad models are equipped with cellular connections from AT&T and Verizon. The study included both the iPad, the iPad 2, and the new iPad. Only the first two models are equipped with a 3G cellular connection.

It's clear that first-, second-, and third-generation iPad buyers are collectively opting for the cheaper Wi-Fi models, and the trend seems to be continuing for new iPad buyers.

Just 1.5 percent of the total iPads were detected to use the 4G LTE connections that exclusively ship with the new iPad, Localytics found. Apple said recently that it has 3 million of the new iPads.

Perhaps the most important finding, however, was that when data use was examined, a disproportionately large percentage, 45 percent, came from those iPad users with a 3G data connection. The remainder of those iPad users used Wi-Fi. And new iPads equipped with LTE used the data connection 36 percent of the time, versus 64 percent for Wi-Fi.

"Apple has reportedly sold over 3 million of the new, 3rd-generation iPads, whose main selling points are updated internals, a Retina display and available 4G LTE connectivity," Localytics wrote in a blog post. The first two seem to be driving the quick sales, but the cellular-enabled variants seem to be comparatively unpopular, perhaps because of how quickly they are capable of crushing limited data plans."

For the iPad 2, a 16-Gbyte Wi-Fi-only model costs $399, while a comparable 3G-equipped model costs $529. Data plans begin a $14.99/mo for AT&T, and $20 for Verizon; both top out at $50 per month for 5 Gbytes of data.

The new iPad costs $499 for a 16-Gbyte model with Wi-Fi only, and $629 for an LTE model. The data plans are comparable, beginning at $14.99/mo for AT&T and $20/mo for Verizon, with both topping out at $50/mo for 5 Gbytes.